augustus low



A. A. LOW.

TYPE CHANNEL.

(No Model.)

No. 360,357. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Lillwgrlpher. Washmgion, D. C.

UNITED STATES A. AUGUSTUS LOXV, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALDEN TYPEMACHINE COMPANY, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-CHANNEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,357 dated March 29,1887.

Application filed May 11, 1886. Serial No. 201,881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, A. AUGUSTUS Low, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inType-Supporting Devices for Use in Type-Containing Channels, of'whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, sufficient toenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

llIy invention relates to what has heretofore been designated as thetype-precedcr or slug used in type-containing channels for the purposeof supporting and retaining the types therein. The class oftype-cntaining channels referred to is thatinto which the types aredistributed successively in pre scribed positions with relation to eachother and to the channels, forming therein lines or columns of typeresting with their broad sides against each other and with their facesall reading in the same direction. During the distribution of the typesthe channels occupy positions in the distributing apparatus in whichthey are temporarily arranged to coincide with and form continuations ofperma nent type receiving and conducting passages, by which the types asdistributed are depos ited in the receiving ends of the type-containingchannels. In order to forward the types within their respective'channelsand clear the way for succeeding types, a reciprocating pusher or othersimilar device is arranged to act intermittently against the ends of thetype lines or columns. This type-forwarding device acts against theresistance afforded by the lines of type already distributed and of thatof the type-preceders or slugs placed in the channels to support theforward ends of the said lines of type.

In order to properly sustain the types in each type-containing channelin a close conipact line, it is desirable that the type-pre ceder orslug shall exert a degree of resistance against movement longitudinallywithin the channel greater than that which would be afforded by a lineof type equal to its length. In other words, the type-preceder or slugmust not rest loosely within the channel,

but must exert a restraining influence upon the types during and afterthe impulse of the type-forwarding device sufficient to prevent alllooseness or play between the types constituting the line, the typesbeing held at the other or receiving end of the line during theretractilc movement of the pusher by any of the means heretofore setforth in my previous applications for patent (Nos. 192,493, 195,866,201,104, and 201,105) for preventing back lash. After removal from thedistributing apparatus another slug is usually inserted in the receivingend of the channel and pressed up against that end of the type-line, thelatter thus being held and confined between two movable partitions,which should afford sufficient resistance to sustain the types tirmlyandcompactly against accidental jar or disturb ance during the handling andtransfer of the channels.

Vhen the types are required for the purpose of setting or composition,the containingchannels and their contents areinsertedin theirappropriate recesses or compartments within the settercase, as shown anddescribed in Patents Nos. 230,784, ,019, 271,711, 336,719, and 336,617,by reference to which itwill be seen that the said recesses formed inthe body of the setter-case for the reception of the typecontainingchannels are made as small and narrow as is practicable, so that anyrigid protrusion beyond the walls of the type containing channels wouldbe inadmissible. Thus it is essential that the type-preceders or slugsshall in no case exceed type-height or project beyond the open edges ofthe typechannels; but this rule, owing to the narrowness of thechannels, renders it difficult to ex tract or handle the slugs, andtweezers or otherspecial implements have usually to be employed inhandling or controlling them.

One of the objects of my present invention is to afford a ready andconvenient means of moving the type-preceders or slugs within thechannels or extracting them therefrom without interfering with theinsertion of the channels into the setter-case. Any rigid handle orprojection upon a type-preceder or slug would not only thus render thetype-containing channel useless in connection with the typesetter, butwould also endanger the contents of the channel during handling andtransfer, since by its projection beyond the edges of the type-channelit would render the slug liable to contact with extraneous objects.Another objection to such rigid handle or projection would be thatduring the distribution of the earlier types into the channel while inposition in the distributer it would be caught and slid back away fromthe,

forward end of theline of the type each time the receiver-plate carriagewas pushed back or retracted from the vertical receiver-plate, (as willbe understood by reference to applications Nos. 156,604, 171,366, and191,824,) thereby upsetting the line.

In my recent applications, Nos. 195,866, 201,104, and 201,105, Idescribed ty'pepreceders or slugs provided with a frictional surfaceconsisting of acord or band of an elastic or semi-elastic frictionalmaterial, and I do not seek to cover herein, broadly, the combination ofa cord with such device. In the constructions referred to, also,provision is made for isolating the knot or fastening where cord orstring is employed, whereas in my present invention th'e main featureconsists in utilizing protuberances or knots formed upon the cord toaugment and perfect the close engagement between slug and channel, andalso, by increasing or diminishing the number of knots, to regulate thedegree of pressure exerted by the slug against the side walls of thechannel in accordance with the special requirements of the particulartype under treatment, it being a fact that differentfsizes and kinds oftype require a greater or less degree of restraint, a line of thesmaller sizes of type being inthe aggregate liable to present aproportionally greater degree of elasticity than a corresponding line oflarger and'heavier types, for the reasons set forth in my applicationsNos.'

201,104: and.20l,105. Theimportance of thus regulating the resistanceafforded by the preceder or slug with relation to the condition of useis of practical importance, since insufficiency of resistance to theaction of the pusher will allow the latter to pitch or throw bothpreceder and type forward, loosening the line or column, while an excessof resistance will interfere with the perfect working of the means forpreventing backlash used at the other extremity of the channel and line.

By the use of a cord or string attached to the slug or preceder I amenabled to accomplish the desired adjustment by simple and inexpensivemeans, since by increasing or diminishing the number of knots orprotuberances thereon I can correspondingly increase or diminish thetightness or lateral pressure exerted against the side walls of thechannel. At the same time such use of the cord enables me to utilize thefree ends of the cord as a means of extracting the slug or preceder orofvarying its position within the type-contain ing channel, although itis obvious that I do not limit myself to such use of the free ends ofthe cord for this purpose, my invention in this connection consisting inproviding the slug or preceder with a flexible handle or other flexiblemeans for grasping it and regulating its position within the channel.The flexibility of the means employed for handling or moving the slug orpreceder permits of the use of the containing-channel in both thesetter-case and the distributing apparatus without obstruction orinterference.

The type-containing channels, being usually formed from sheet metalstamped up into the desired shape, are apt to have their side wallsslightly flared apart at their upper edges. The mode of manufacture,also, is sometimes the cause of a slight buckling or unevenness inportions of the side walls, so that thelatter are not always perfectlyparallel. The side walls are also-liable to become slightly bent in use,andeven when such buckle, bend, or irregularity is almost imperceptibleit still has a tendency to interfere with the perfect operafforded beingin such case variable through out the type'passage. To overcome thisdifiiculty when present I use a slug or preceder proof the slug orfollower for thepurpose of very ing the degree of penetration into thechannel of the string or other elastic or semi-elastic cord orfrictional material, thereby enabling me to compensate for any spreadingor want of parallelism between the side walls, which are invariablynarrowest and most perfect at or near the bottom or spine. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation. of atype-containing channel provided with my new form of slug with longi-.

tudinal cord, the central portion of the channel being broken away; Fig.2, a transverse section of a type-containing channel, showing an endview of a slug or preceder and the bearing of a knot or protuberanceagainst the side wall of the channel. 7 Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionof the slug or preceder on line 04 :10, Fig. 6. Fig. 4c is an endelevation of a slug or preceder in which the cord is double-knotted toincrease the lateral pressure against the side wall of the channel;Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevations of opposite sides of the slug orpreceder without the cord or tightener; Figs. 7 and 8, similar viewswith the cord applied; Fig. 9, a side elevation showing the applicationof a cord or tightener at each end of the slug or preceder; Fig. 10, asimilar view showing the cords projecting down vertically to near thebottom of the slug or preceder; Fig. 11, atop View of the slugrepresented in Fig.

10; Figs. 12 and 13, side and top views of the slug or preceder withoutthe cords, formed with vertical end grooves and series of verticalperforations coinciding therewith. Fig. 14 is a top view of a portion ofa type-containing channel, in one side wall of which a lateral bend orimperfection exists, illustrating the utility of the separate end cordsor protuberances.

The type-containing channels A are preferably formed from sheet metal,struck into shape in the usual way. They are usually formed with a highwall, a, and a low wall, a, for the reasons set forth in former patents.

\Vhen used in connection with a channel having such high and low walls,the cord 0 may be applied to the slug or preecder B horizontally, asshown in the first eight figures in the drawings. In such the groove 1)and the perforations b are formed in the slug or preceder at a pointwhich will be above the top of the low side wall, a, when the slug orpreceder is in position within the channel. The groove 1) is deep enoughto receive and shield the cord from contact with the side walls of thechannel upon that side. The'cord 0 projects beyond the body of the slugor preceder upon the other side, where it is secured by the formation ofone or more knots, c, which create a thickness or protuberance at thatpoint, constituting a semi-elastic cushion, which presses against thehigh side wall, a, of the type-channel when the slug or preceder isinserted in the position shown in Fig. 2 and upon the left-hand side ofFig. 1. Thus constructed and used in conjunction with the high and lowwalled channel A, the slug or preceder B may be used tion within thetype-channel, as shown upon the right-hand side of Fig. 2, or as afriction slug or type-preceder, as before set forth. In other cases thefrictional material or cord 0 may be arranged vertically or diagonally,or in any preferred way. One, two, or more of these cords C may be usedupon the body of the slug or type-preceder. I prefer to arrange one ator near each extremity, as illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 14, forthe purpose of affording more than one bearing against the side walls ofthe channel. By this means, should one of the cords chance to beopposite a buckle or depression in the opposed side wall, the slug orpreceder would still be held snug and close between the side walls atits other extremity. \Vhen thus arranged at either end of the slug orpreceder, the cord may be made to project upon both sides, if desirable;but I prefer to form the vertical grooves b, within which one side ofthe cord rests, and to arrange the said grooves 1) upon opposite sidesof the body of the slug or preceder B, so that the bearings 0 will bearupon opposite side walls of the channel.

A series of perforations, I)", coincide with grooves 11 and permit ofthe application or adjustment of the cords G of different length, asillustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. This is to adapt the slug or precedermore perfectly to the side walls of the channels, which are always trueand of standard width near the bot tom or spine, but the upper sidewalls of which frequently diverge more or less. By using longer cords inthe channels, the side walls of which diverge materially, the cords maybe made to project downward sufficiently to insure a close fit betweenthe parts. By arranging the knots or protuberances cin such case nearthe upper edge of the slug or preceder, this result is still furtherinsured, as the knots 0r protuberances may be increased until therequisite degree of tightness is attained. The free ends 0 c of thecord, besides permitting of the formation of new knots for the purposeof increasing the pressure to be exerted against the side walls of thechannels, may also be utilized as means for grasping and removing orchanging the position of the slug or preceder.

Any other suitable form of flexible handle may be substituted for theends of the string, if preferred, the essential feature of construe tionin this respect being an elastic means for handling the slug orpreceder, which will yield and adapt itself to circumstances withoutinterfering with or obstructing any of the legitimate uses of thechannel.

In my application for patent, No. 201,101, filed May 4, 1886, I show atype-prcceder or slug formed with perforations for the reception of africtional cord, and with recesses or depressions upon one sidecoinciding with the perforations and designed to receive and isolate theknots formed in the cord; but the object of such construction is toafford means either as a loose slug, by reversing it in posifor varyingthe resistance or frictional contact to be attained, and the slug is notdesigned to be reversible, as the present form of slug is; neither isitprovided with a continuous groove and a loop or band of frictional cord.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1.. In combination with a type-containing channel substantially such asdesignated, the reversible type-preceder or slug B, formed with thegroove?) and perforations Z), andpro vided with the cord 0, arranged andoperat ing substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with a type-containing channel substantially such asdesignated, a type-preceder or slug provided with a projeeting handle offlexible material, substantially in the manner and for the purposedescribed.

3. In combination with a type-containing channel substantially such asdescribed, a type-preceder or slug provided withaknotted cord, the knotsin which protrude upon one side of the slug, so as to bear against theside wall of the channel, the said cord being applied in such mannerthat the hearing or pressure exerted against the side walls of thechannel may be increased by the formation of additional knots upon thesaid cord, substantially in the manner and for the purposedetype-preceder or slug formed with the vertical scribed. grooves b andseries of coinciding perfora 4. In combination with a type-containingtions, and provided with the cords O, substanchannel substantially suchas described, a tially in the manner and for the purpose de- 5 type-preceder or slug provided with two fricscribed.

tional cords, one at each extremity, for the vpurpose and substantiallyin the manner de scribed. Witnessr s: r

5. In combination with atype-eontaining GEO. W. MIATT, 10 channelsubstantially such as describedfa WM. GARDNER.

A. AUGUSTUS LOW.

